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The Ice Princess

Camilla Lackberg
Pegasus Books (2011)
ISBN 9781605980928
Reviewed by Ray Palen for RebeccasReads (6/011

The greatest contribution the late Swedish author Stieg Larsson made to the world was opening the doors for several other Scandinavian authors to enjoy similar international acclaim.  Larsson’s  “Millennium Trilogy” (consisting of “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”, “The Girl Who Played With Fire” and “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest”) are still atop the best-seller’s list worldwide and have been made into a successful series of Swedish films (and soon to be American versions directed by David Fincher).
Along with fellow authors like Hakan Nesser and Henning Mankell, Camilla Lackberg has joined the fray.  Already dubbed “The Swedish Crime Queen”, Ms. Lackberg has turned her career as an economist into best-seller stardom all due to taking a course in creative writing that changed her life.  She has been publishing top-selling fiction in Sweden since 2005 and is now beginning to enjoy similar success in the U.S.  Her novel, "The Ice Princess", was originally released in her home country in 2008 and already has received international acclaim.
What makes her series of novels so popular --- they feature the unique pairing of authoress Erica Falck and her husband, Detective Patrik Hedstrom.  In "The Ice Princess", Ericka is drawn into the alleged suicide of a childhood friend named Alex.  Those who know Alex best insist this is not a suicide but cold-blooded murder (she was found in a bathtub full of blood).  Toxicology reports support that there may have been a poisoning involved and now everyone in Alex’s world is a suspect.
To further complicate matters, Erica has decided to base her next novel on the life of her old friend, Alex.  Having lost touch with her for many years, Erica has a good deal of ground to make up.  As her research begins --- initially speaking with family members, her husband, neighbors and friends --- Erica is able to piece a few things together.  First and foremost, Alex may have been having an affair with a mysterious lover.  Secondly, Alex was pregnant when she died --- and the child is NOT her husband’s.
Simultaneous to Ericka’s quest for the perfect expose/novel, Detective Patrik Hedstrom is heading up his own investigation as part of the local Police Department.  Unfortunately, Patrik has to battle with his head-strong boss who wants a slam-dunk conviction (and a good deal of the credit for having neatly solved the murder case).  When the wrong man is initially apprehended and imprisoned, Patrik must go toe-to-toe with his boss to release this suspect who Patrik knows with confidence is not the murderer.  Now, Patrik must race against his own team to secure enough clues and evidence to lead the way to the true killer.
It is when the paths of Erica and Patrik cross that the action of "The Ice Princess" truly picks up.  Separately, they have had slow and steady success in their respective cases.  Their combined resources, however, prove to be far more formidable.  The pair begins to delve into the dark secrets that lie beneath the surface of the small Swedish town known as Fjallbacka --- and they are not at all prepared for what they will uncover.  Some secrets should remain hidden and darkness inhabits certain residents of this town that may be claiming more than just Alex as a victim of their evil deeds.
What Camilla Lackberg does best is using a great deal of ‘economy’ in her language and this allows for a quick read that permits the reader to instantly enter the world she has created and relate intimately with each of the characters she has depicted.  After devouring "The Ice Princess" I’m confident most readers will want to read more from Camilla Lackberg.  As more of her work becomes available stateside I can only hope that the word of mouth about this talented author takes flight!

 

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